Tokyo Tourist Tips

One of my favorite places that I’ve travelled to would be Tokyo! So you can have an experience as fun as I had in that wonderful city, I present to you my Tokyo Tourist Tips!

Places to Visit and Things to do: The Famous

Take photos in Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park

Visit Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko Statue

Visit Tsukiji Market and Eat Sushi prepared by Sushu Chefs

Eat in Ramen Houses

Places to Visit and Things to do: The Not so Famous

Maid Cafe or Any other themed cafes

Big Ass Art Supplies Store: Seikado

Rent a Kimono

Ramp your fashion sense in Harajuku

Eat at a Sushi Conveyor Belt Restaurant

Transportation

Take the bus from the airport to Tokyo Train Station. The Bus costs Y500 per person while the JR Express train costs Y3300. I recommend taking the bus to see Mt Fuji, too. It costs lower and you can enjoy the views better because of a slower speed.

Use the train to go around Tokyo. For foreigners that are staying short term, the station is running a promo that you can use the lines within Tokyo for an 72 hours, unlimited use, for only Y1500. It’s a steal because one ride is around Y250. If you’re really going to explore Tokyo, it’s super awesome. Plus no need to be afraid to get lost. You have unlimited use of the train anyway. But there are limited places where you can get those. You can read more about that here.

Recommended app for riding the spiderweb maze that is the Japan subway: Tokyo Subway Navigation for Tourists. Just type which station you’re coming from and where you’re going and it displays the number of stops you’ll have to take, train changes you have to make, where to make them, and how much it would cost. It also displays a map of the all the train lines! It’s easy to use and really light on memory.

Accommodation

Accommodations are expensive in Japan. I recommend using Airbnb for your travel needs. You have the option to cook your own breakfast, do your own laundry and it’s a lot cheaper than hotels. The cost for a hotel for 2 in the Shinjuku costs about the same for an Airbnb for 6 people in the same area.

Of course, you can opt to look for hotels online. The pros of hotels are that the Couch surfing is also an option apparently.

Etiquette

Probably the most important of my Tokyo tourist tips is the etiquette. Japanese are very polite and would do you good if you were polite, too.

Stay on the left side of the escalator when not in a rush. This gives people who ARE in a rush room to overtake you. In HK and SG, iirc, it’s to stay on the right. Weird.

Say thank you often. Thank you in Nihonggo is “Arigatou Gozaimasu” or a more casual “Arigatou”, if in doubt make sure not to say arigathanks gozaimuch.

Do not leave a tip. Tipping is not a norm in Japan. Which is nice because more spending money!

Do not stick your chopstick in your dish when you are not using it. Instead, place it on top of your bowl. Sticking your chopstick in your dish symbolizes an offering to the dead. Do not offer your food to the dead accidentally.

Please refrain from eating and drinking inside the trains. Do keep quiet in trains, too. No loud voices. If you’re listening to music via headphones, make sure that only you can hear it, and not the whole train. They do not need to know that you like listening to Panic! at the Disco at top volume.

Useful words to learn

My weaboness was useful when we went to Tokyo because the little Nihonggo words I picked up really helped! You can either memorize this, or keep in in your notes on your phone for easy viewing. Or you know, keep visiting my page whenever you need to.

Thank you – Arigatou gozaimasu

You’re welcome – Dou itashimashita

Good morning – Ohayou gozaimasu

Good afternoon – Konnichiwa

Good evening – Kombanwa

Good night – Oyasumi nasai

Water please – Mizu kudasai

How much is this? – Ikuradesu ka

Just looking – Mite iru dake

Can I see this? – kore o mite mitaidesu

I can’t speak Japanese – Nihonggo dekimasen

Can you speak English? – Eigo o hanashimasuka

Protip: Do not pronounce the -su as “soo” but as “s”

Do you think that my Tokyo Tourist Tips are helpful? Want to know more? Tell me on the comments section below!